ScorpioN

ScorpioN is now accepting questions! Submit here: thescorpion@megadeth.com. Before you ask a question, read the SCORPION ARCHIVES and make sure that your question has not already been answered! ScorpioN may not be able to answer every question asked. Please only submit one question per email in an easy to read format. Check back here to www.megadeth.com/scorpion often to see if your question was selected! ScorpioN section is updated every Monday.

03/26/2012

Hello,

I was just reading Dave's 1st article as a columnist writer in Guitar World's January 2008 magazine, that I had saved from previous years. He writes that he wraps his pinky finger around the plastic bridge ring that frames the bridge pickup, and allows his palm to rest on the string saddles at the bridge. He states he does this for muting techniques, and also hand muscle memory allows play without looking from a fixed position. As an aspiring Mustaine guitarist, I would like to purchase a Dean Dave Mustaine, but would like to know if Dave plans to make more Dean's like the Korina Zero? I have a hard time playing the flying V's, as when I'm sitting they tend to want to slide off my leg due to the V shape (thus making it impossible to try his technigues). The Korina Zero however, straddles the leg. But they are also $3000.00, as only 50 were produced, and aren't as affordable. Does Dave have any suggestions playing a V that makes it more comfortable when practicing sitting down? I would also like to thank Dave for not using highly technical terms in his columns. That is the sign of a true journalist in my opinion as everyone can understand his writings. Does Dave plan to write any more for any Guitar Magazines?

Thank you
Eric Wheatley in Louisville, Ky

__________________________________________

Hi Eric,

I can tell you that writing the column for Guitar World was a lot of fun for Dave, and his friend Nick Bowcott (Grim Reaper guitarist) was the one who helped him get that gig. No immediate plans for writing another column, but ya never know what the future holds!

The pick-up ring helps Dave when picking strings in an abnormal pattern, like in Hangar 18; he jumps from the E string to the D string at the top of the rhythm track that supports the solo section before the duel.

Those Korina Zeros were Custom Collectors Items. They sold out fast, and I am sure you can find some, but to the real collector, they are only going to increase in value. Try contacting Josh Maloney at Dean Guitars. He would love to build you a guitar.

As for playing the V shape while sitting down, try putting the bottom of the V shape over your leg, support with the other leg, and sit forward on your chair; you'll get a good stable placement this way. Check the photo below of Dave playing his V while sitting at a recent backstage practice section during Gigantour 2012.

-ScorpioN

03/12/2012

Scorpion,

With David Ellefson having now played with all the drummers in Megadeth, I was wondering how he approached each musical situation with each new drummer? Is there a way that David best finds best to create the Megadeth rhythm section? Also, can you ask him if there is a different "feel" he has with Shawn versus any of the past drummers in Megadeth?

Thanks,

Steve Jock
Buffalo, NY

_______________________________________

Hi Steve, I went to David with your question and he was happy to reply...

Each drummer has created a totally different feel and sound for Megadeth over the years. I liked Gar's inventive style just as I appreciated Nick's bombast, flare for style and out-of-the-box creativity. Jimmy was really solid and was someone I could count on every night and he played really tight.

To me, Shawn provides a super steady tempo for us now and I can always count on him to not make mistakes either. He was a real joy to play with when I came back on the "Rust In Peace" 20th Anniversary tour because those songs have to be played 'in the pocket' or else they can sound like mush in the large venues. I think because Shawn is also a songwriter and guitarist he really understands the components of the songs on a musical level, not just from a drummer's perspective. It helps that he's been a huge fan of the music, and all of the drummers over the years, so he can really cherry pick the best of the best from each one's style. This helps him really optimize the music for the band today.

David Ellefson

02/27/2012

Hi Scorpion, first i want to say, that Th1rt3en is awesome album! But here is my question, how many LP's (limited edition) of Th1rt3en was made?

Thank you very much for answer, Kropis.

__________________________________________

Hi Kropis, the record company usually doesn't discuss specific numbers when they do pressings unless the pieces are numbered. But this was a limited edition and I can tell you that they were only offered for a limited time during the album release in Fall of 2011, and are now out of stock. If you got your hands on one of these awesome TH1RT3EN 2-LP picture disc sets, you're a lucky fellow!

02/06/2012

Hello ScorpioN, I've recently begun playing bass and would love to practice some Megadeth songs, but many of my favorite songs (Hook in Mouth, being a good example) are almost impossible to find tabs on. I'm not very good at playing by ear and most tabs/covers just seem completely off. Is there any place to get accurate (or whatever's possible) tabs of the bass songs?

Best regards, Freakie (forum Droogie).

_______________________________________

While I always recommend the official tabs offered by the books that include Megadeth songs, there are also a lot of great bits on YouTube, including people actually playing the parts slowly in an instructional manner. I hope this helps!

-ScorpioN

01/30/2012

Hello scorpion,
I always wanted to know what types of cymbals does Shawn uses during his tours? Just recently got into drumming and also changed my music type from hip hop to rock/metal and Megadeth blew me away. I listen to them everyday with my Favorite song "take no prisoners" so would really appreciate if I got to know what type of cymbals Shawn uses because I would like to one day be able to play all Megadeth songs like Shawn does.

I was looking for some back grounds for my computer, I had united abominations up for awhile but I really dig the vic hero shirt art work. I would love if you guys would post a gallery of all the great vic art work. Any plans of that?
Thank You
Glen

Scorpion, with Megadeth being recognized as one of the founders of Thrash Metal, I'd like to hear how the band defines thrash metal, how it feels to be one of the original founders of the genre, how it has developed over time and how it feels to have influenced generations to come.

Thanks, Adam

_______________________________________

Hello Adam, I went to David Ellefson with your questions. Here is what he had to say about it.

Thrash is a combination of the attitude from punk rock but the riffs and complexities of traditional metal. I never really think of it in terms of being one of the original founding members because we were just creating our music. In light of that, it's still an honor to be seen as such by our fans. It didn't appeal to everyone because at that same point in time, 1981-1992, it was mostly melodic 'hair metal' on the landscape. Thrash appealed to the rest of us who liked the essence of pure music without all the hype and showy stuff surrounding it. It emerged out of European metal music and by the mid 1980's the USA and other parts of the world were ready to embrace it because they were tired of the glitzy hair metal that was all the rave at that time.

The 1990's were not very favorable to thrash music. In fact from 1994-2004 was a really dark period for the genre. Then the bands in the mid 2000's started to really make it thrive; bands like 'Lamb Of God' and others really lit the flame because they were from a younger generation who grew up on our music.

I think thrash metal has influenced todays music mostly from the technical side of the musicianship. Players of other genres have credited bands like Megadeth & Metallica as influential to their playing. It's a great feeling to know that we may have had something to do with influencing generations to come!

01/02/2012

Hi,

I was wondering where i can buy a David Ellefson bass. I live in Canada so if you can tell me some dealer or website I would appreciate.

Which are the guitars that Dave have used during his career?
I know that he used 2 Bc rich models, Jacksons king v, some ESP's guitars, but I don't know the Deans he's been using. I've seen a lot of Dean singature models, but he only used a few. I've never seen him using the VMNTX series, or the USA Dave Mustaine Signature VMNT.
Greetings from Argentina

______________________________________

Hello, the following is a list of the Dean guitars Dave Mustaine played during 2011:

New guitars are always being produced by Dave and Dean. Watch for what others may be added to Dave's arsenal in the year 2012!

12/19/2011

What line of ddrums does Shawn play?

Michael

_____________________________________

Hello Michael, Shawn Drover plays the ddrum Dios M American-made maple kit. You can see a detailed list of Shawn's kit in the Gear section here at Megadeth.com. www.megadeth.com/gear.php

12/12/2011

Hi Scorpion. I guess this qeustion is about both Dave's and Chris's amp set-up. I have been reading up on the Axe-Fx II unit. I always thought it was played directly through their Marshall amps, but from what I understand, this can't or shouldn't be done. So how do impliment these units in the bands set-up? What's the signal path?

Thank you

Lu-Jean Wickens

_______________________________________

Hey Lu-Jean,

The signal starting from the guitar runs as such: guitar to the rear input of the
Fractal, the signal is then split into an out that runs to a Marshall mono block power amp and out to the guitar speakers. The other out of the fractal has a speaker simulation on it and runs strait to the P.A. From there the sound engineer takes the signals and combines them in an amount he thinks is appropriate. This is a fairly typical use of the Fractal and is not detrimental in any way.

Hope this gives some clarity on Megadeth's setup.

-ScorpioN

12/05/2011

I purchased a United Abominations "Tour Edition" CD on eBay which includes 3 bonus tracks, "Out On The Tiles", "Black Swan", and "The Bodies Left Behind". It's sealed, it has a sticker on the front stating "tour editon", it looks legitimate. Is it the real deal or is it a counterfeit? I don't know if this helps but the barcode is 016861802929 and the product # on the spine of the cd is SC07334-0 LTD. I can provide pics also. I haven't found any information about in online anywhere. When I search for it on google, all that comes up is the eBay listing. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks. Brad

______________________________________

Brad, it's common for bootlegs to have a U.S. or U.K. UPC code with a foreign catalog number and a counterfeit CD with all kinds of extras on them. We know the only edition of United Abominations you could buy on that tour was the regular CD at meet 'n greets with Megadeth, and Black Swan/Bodies have never been released on CD before the Endgame & TH1RT3EN albums.

-ScorpioN

11/14/2011

Hi, Scorpion and Megadeth! -I'm from Argentina, so I don't speak english very well, but I'll try anyway ;) - I direct my question to David Ellefson:
I've seen photos and videos where David Ellefson was playing a 5 string bass Rust In Peace... but the 5th string is not necessary to play those songs -I think-, so... Why does David play a 5 string bass in RIP?

Greetings from Buenos Aires
Facundo

_______________________________________

Hi Facundo,

While many of the earlier Megadeth songs don't require a five string bass, many of the later songs do, beginning with 'Hangar 18' on the "Rust In Peace" album. 'Hangar 18' was the first such song David needed to replicate a five string bass line for and then the five string started becoming a bigger part of his bass composition style after that. I can tell you, David finds it easier to play a five string most of the night rather than always be changing basses, which is why he plays it so much during Megadeth's live shows.

-ScorpioN

10/05/2011

Hello Scorpion, I have a question for the webmaster here at Megadeth.com.

When can we expect the current Endgame theme (which was done very well, I must say) to be replaced with a shiny, new TH1RT3EN theme?

Thank you for taking the time to read this!
-Ali from Michigan

______________________________________

Hello Ali, the webmaster appreciates your comment in regards to the Endgame theme. As you may already be aware, the Megadeth.com website gets a make over with every new studio release by Megadeth. A new shiny, TH1RT3EN theme is set to be unveiled when the new album is released on November 1, 2011. Stay tuned for a new great look and some rad updated features!

-ScorpioN

09/13/2011

Hey Scorpion,

I was wondering why Dave and Chris choose not to use effect pedal and have pedal boards onstage? Do all the distortions, choruses, flangers etc come from the effects processors and amps? And does David Ellefson use any sort of effects or does he plug straight into his amp?

Thank you very much,
Eduardo, São Paulo, Brazil

PS. I'm extremely excited to see Megadeth play at SWU here in Brazil in November!

_______________________________________

Hey Eduardo,

The band prefers a clean stage which is why they also use in-ear monitoring instead of foldback wedge monitor cabinets. This way they can offer their audience a perfect view from any seat and not be tied to pedal boards to hinder their performance for the fans.

David Ellefson only uses a stereo chorus for songs like 'Dawn Patrol', 'Poison Was The Cure' and 'Five Magics'. That pedal is run by his tech offstage as well.

Scorp!

09/05/2011

Hi Scorpion, I've a question for Chris Broderick.

Chris, I know that you endorse engl powerball amps, while using Marshall pre amps and speakers live in Megadeth. But you also use fractal audio axe fx ii systems and the amp models and patches which come with it. How do you find the comparison between tones on the fractal with the engl amp you endorse, and what is your stance on the Digital fx versus valve amps. Also is an amp required (like any engl or Marshall head) when you have an axe fx powered by say a Marshall power amp.

Any response to this would be great,
Owen Catterall, Ireland

______________________________________

Hey Owen,

I would first state that this question has been out there for a long time now, however it is only now becoming relevant because until Fractal came around there was no comparison to the original. I would say that tube amps and Fractal Axe's compare favorably to each other, but when you throw in the convenience of all that the Fractal can do, it makes it the better choice for touring. I will always have my favorite amps around however, to make sure that I haven't strayed to far from their tone because with all of the tonal possibilities in the Axe Fx it's not hard to go over board Ahahahha.

Take care, Chris.

08/15/2011

I know that there has been asked a bass question recently, but I really have to know the answer.

I play bass, and it's really frustrating when I cover Poison Was The Cure with my bass sounding too clean. How does David Ellfefon gets that Slap-pop sound, while using a pick?

Thank you.

________________________________________

David Ellefson does use a pick and has a very clean sound, but he now adds bass chorus pedal to help the intro for 'Poison Was The Cure' have a bit more of a colorful sound. He turns the pedal off once he is into the song with the full band.

-ScorpioN

08/08/2011

I play the bass guitar and Dave Ellefson is a huge influence for me

My question is this:

How did he become so good? I mean i know practice means everything but come on!

I dont have a whole lot of time for practice anymore since i am going to school now, but basically is there any quick tips for a novice bass player?

BTW, i met the guys at the Joe Louis Arena in August of 2010 on the RIP anniversary tour, it was so Awesome and you guys should play in Michigan more often there are huge fans out here too!!!

Kevin

______________________________________

Hi Kevin,

My rule is "practice" at home so you can "rehearse" with your band to make you good enough to "perform" live!

Stay sharp with your scales and basic musicality. Stay up on any songs you like to play, too. It's better to play 15-30 minutes each day than to try and save up for four hours on a Saturday. A little all the time keeps your chops much sharper.

David Ellefson

07/25/2011

This one's for Dave. You helped usher in the era of the music video.
With all the advancements in CGI and production, if you could go back and remake one of your older videos and tell the story with today's technology, which would it be? Also, is there a song you wish you did a video for but didn't?

Keep crushing it! Megadeth has set the bar for the rest of the metal world.

Glenn
Blythewood, SC

_______________________________________

Hi Glenn, good question! I went to Dave Mustaine with this and here is what he had to say...

When we did Hangar 18 we used miniatures and some special fx too. I think that videos today are all about the pardoo! And if the band ain't a pardy band, then they are singing in a cemetery somewhere. There really is no more middle ground. Thanks for your question. Megaman

07/11/2011

Hi there Scorpion.

I am a drummer myself and I LOVE to try and play Megadeth's songs, as they are tremendously challenging for me. And I say try, because the drumming in Megadeth is quite complex... the tempos, the rudiments... they are fu**ing amazing. My question is... who writes and arranges the drum sections for every song ? Is this a task that Dave does, or this relies completely on every drummer ? Do the drummers give suggestions, do they create, or does Dave say "play this the way I say, and that's it" ?

Most megadeth songs I have recorded are a collaboration between myself, Dave and the producer. I will play the track, then we will listen to it and have bounce ideas around before I record the final track. I like to have their opinions, as sometimes a part can get even better with just a small change in a drum fill, etc.

Be well,
Shawn

06/27/2011

Hi Scorpion,

How long does the band usually rehearse for a tour? I notice on the website that, as of today, they are still working on the new record. I have tickets to see them with the Big Four on July 2nd here in Germany, and also to see them in Hamburg on July 4th. I would have thought that they would be rehearsing by now!!

thanks

brian barker
hamburg, germany

Hi Brian,

There are no set rehearsals before heading out on the road together. The guys tour so much and have done it for such a long time that they are all ready to go once out on the road. With that being said, they do play through a majority of the set togehter at least once in the dressing room each night before a show. That gets them primed and warmed up for the upcoming show. If there are new songs to be played, they will take this time to go through them and start introducing the new songs on stage as they get more comfortable with them. It all comes together pretty quick when you're pros like Megadeth! ...of course, each of the guys also do their own practicing and keeping up on their chops while off stage.

06/06/2011

scorpion,

How does willie gee achieve mustaines tone with a digitech gsp1101 or axe fx?

-Ezekiel
New York City

________________________________________

Hi Ezekiel, I caught up with Willie G today and this is what he had to say about your question...

HMM!!!

Well, if he is using WHICH unit we use, Dave has been using the Fractal Audio Systems Axe FX Ultra exclusively for almost a year now. Prior to that, we used the Digitech GSP1101 since about 2007.

Dave's sound has alwasy been based around a Marshall or "Marshall type" amp (meaning a pretty high-gain tube head with EL34 power tubes) with maybe an overdrive pedal giving it a slight "push". To get Dave's tone with a preamp like the Axe FX, we use amplifier simulations that are based on amps like the Marshall JCM 800 or modded "Marshall types" like the "Marsha" amp, and add a touch of overdrive pedal (such as a TS808 or ProCo Rat overdrive, with the level dialed up a bit and the drive/distortion barely on), and a bit of boosting of midrange frequencies using parametric EQ. That's pretty much the whole key to it - getting a good, British-type amp sound, driving a bit harder at the input with a gain-boosting device, and tweaking the sound for a bit more "teeth" in the midrange with EQ. You could do it with graphic as well, but I've had better luck with parametric eq-ing.

Same thing with the other units Dave's used ...just pick a good, high-gain amp type, add a touch of drive from "Tube Screamer" or whatever overdrive it has, and a bit of judicious midrange tweaking to accentuate the midrange (NEVER "scoop out" the mids!) and you should be in the ballpark! A lot of the punch in Dave's tone also comes from using a pretty hefty string gauge, tuned to standard, A440 tuning...Dave uses a light top/heavy bottom set, .010 to .052.

Hope this helps!

05/23/2011

Hi guys,

Ive been following Dave on Twitter, and I can see youre recording a new album which is great! But Dave keeps referring to a guy named johnny? Is he sessioning guitar or does he have more of a production role? Also  Will the new album be featuring Vic on the cover?

Thanks,

Jim

_____________________________________

Hi Jim, Dave is referring to producer Johnny Karkazis. Better known as Johnny K,(born in Chicago, Illinois) he is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago. Johnny has worked with bands such as Sevendust, Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, Staind, Machine Head and more.

Johnny has been brought in to produce the new Megadeth album at Vic's Garage in San Marcos, California.

Vic on cover? .... you'll have to wait to see! ;)

04/25/2011

What scales do Mustaine and Broderick use when they solo? Some scales that are commonly used in metal sound more Egyptian when I use them. Also, what chromatic notes do they add in?

-Miguel

_____________________________________

Hi Miguel, I caught up with Chris Broderick today and asked him your question. Here is what he had to say in regards to the scales used in Megadeth.

"One of the most common scales used in Megadeth (and in most bands) is the Pentatonic scale. In some cases we would add chromatic notes such as the b5, and #6 to add some variation to their tone. The scales you would refer to as sounding more Egyptian would be the Harmonic mi scale (especially if you play it off the 5th), and the Hungarian gypsy mi scale in tandem with a Maj7#11 arpeggio."

04/13/2011

Scorpion, please will you tell me if there is a meet n greet for us fan club members at the big 4 in Indio??

Sean
Member #5873

Hi Sean, today we announced just that, here at Megadeth.com. You now have the chance to meet the guys at the Big 4 concert in Indio, California!

Read below...

The Megadeth Cyber Army is offering club members an opportunity to meet Megadeth at the "Big Four" show in Indio, California on April 23, 2011! If you plan on attending the show, check the club now and enter the draw for a meet 'n greet pass to meet Megadeth at Indio! 10 lucky winners will be chosen. Hurry, you must enter before midnight (PT), Monday, April 18. For more information, visit the Cyber Army. Not a member? Not a problem! Enlist today!

03/28/2011

I play the bass guitar and Dave Ellefson is a huge influence for me

My question is this:

How did he become so good? I mean i know practice means everything but come on!

I dont have a whole lot of time for practice anymore since i am going to school now, but basically is there any quick tips for a novice bass player?

BTW, i met the guys at the Joe Louis Arena in August of 2010 on the RIP anniversary tour, it was so Awesome and

you guys should play in Michigan more often there are huge fans out here too!!!

_______________________________________

Here it is directly from Mr. Ellefson!

"I practiced a lot when I was younger and still do. For some people it is more natural than others but most importantly play for the fun of doing it. That's the main thing, have fun!

I suggest trying to play at least a little bit very often rather than trying to find large chunks of time, as those times usually don't happen later in life with commitments of school, family, work, etc.

Try and divide your practice up in three equal sections: play something you like (fav song), practice something challenging (scales, modes) and then ad lib and improvise a bit.

That should help you have fun and still challenge yourself just enough to see some steady improvement.

Enjoy!

David Ellefson"

03/08/2011

Hi there Scorpion!

I have question about David's signature bass models. Will there be any budget-friendly model that costs ~700-900 $ or are the custom shop models be only ones on sale?
If there are coming budjet-friendly models will they also arrive in Europe?

- Tommi

______________________________________

Tommi,

The first batch are USA Custom Shop but stay tuned to Jacksonguitars.com for more information on future bass plans.

David Ellefson

02/28/2011

Hey Scorpion,

I went to see Megadeth on May 2nd last year here in Peru for the 20th anniversary of Rust In Peace, and they blew my mind. I was wondering if Dave and the guys are planning on making a 25th anniversary tour for Peace Sells.. But Who's Buying?.

P.S: Thanks in advance for answering if you do!

Erik

____________________________________

Hi Erik,

Dave Mustaine recently told VH1 Radio Networks' Dave Basner, "We've already had people talk to us about doing that and I told our manager that I'm totally interested in doing 'Peace Sells' for a 25th anniversary this year but I don't want to do it all year like we did with 'Rust in Peace'. I want to do it towards the end of the year. So we'll do the whole year doing our thing and then come around October, where the end of the year is, you've got a quarter of the year left, October, November and December, where we can do the 'Peace Sells' thing."

02/07/2011

Hi I have a question does dave mustaine use Fractal Axe FX Ultra and Digitech GSP1101 both at the same time or he just uses one, does he use one at the studio and the other one live or how does it work?

Sebastian

____________________________________

Hi Sebastian, I went directly to Dave Mustaine's guitar tech, Willie Gee with your question. Here is what Willie had to say on the matter...

Dave USED to use the Digitech GSP1101, but has been using the Fractal Axe FX Ultra exclusively live since about September of 2010. Before that, we used a combination of the Axe FX Ultra and the GSP1101, but never both at the same time.

In the studio Dave usually uses Marshall JVM410 amplifiers, as well as other Marshall models, but depending on what is going on, any variety of gear can be put into use, from the Marshall amps to his preamps (including the Rocktron Prophesy) to the prototype of the Dave Mustaine Zoom G2.1DM pedal that's due out this spring.

01/17/2011

Hey Scorpion,

I was looking at Dave's signature VMNTs and I came across the double necked Bloodlust. Do the necks have 6 strings on each or is there 6 on one neck and 12 strings on the other neck?

Thanks,
Justin

_____________________________________

Hi Justin,

Dave's double necks have a 12-string on the upper neck and a 6-string on the lower neck. The tuning pegs for the extra 6-strings on the upper neck are located at the bottom of the guitar, on the body. You can see in the photo of Dave's Blood Lust double neck right here.